Art Lesson w/ Ms. Jennifer: Beatrix Potter

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About the Artist:

“Helen Beatrix Potter (28 July 1866 – 22 December 1943) was an English writer, illustrator, mycologist and conservationist. She is famous for writing children's books with animal characters such as “The Tale of Peter Rabbit.”

Potter was born in Kensington, London. She was educated by governesses. She did not have many friends, but she had many pets, including Benjamin and Peter, two rabbits. She spent her holidays in Scotland and the Lake District. There, she began to learn to love nature, plants, and animals, which she carefully painted. Potter pursued mycology largely on her own and was invited to study fungi at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew, London. She also made microscopic drawings of fungus spores and developed a theory of their germination.

When she was around 30, Potter published The Tale of Peter Rabbit. It was very popular. ...

Potter began writing and illustrating children's books full time. ...In time, she bought Hill Top Farm and more land. In her forties, she married William Heelis, a local solicitor. She also began raising sheep and became a farmer, though she continued writing. She published 23 books.


Potter wrote about 30 books; the best known being her 24 children's tales. She died at age 77, leaving almost all her property to the National Trust. She is credited with preserving much of the land that now constitutes the Lake District National Park. Potter's books continue to sell throughout the world in many languages with her stories being retold in song, film, ballet, and animation, and her life depicted in a feature film and television film.”

Watch Ms Jennifer create her woodland character.

Materials:

  • Images of woodland creatures, or how to draw Peter Rabbit handout https://www.wedrawanimals.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/peter-rabbit-tutorial.png

  • Colored pencil

  • Watercolor colored pencils or washable markers

  • Brush

  • Water cup

  • Watercolor (or thick drawing) paper

Instructions:

  1. After studying the art of Beatrix Potter, decide on a creature to be your main character for stories and illustrations. Find a photo of the animal, preferably in a human like pose.

  2. Sketch your animal focusing on big shapes (is the body an egg shape or a rectangle?) first. Then add a few details such as eyes and some fur.

  3. Color with watercolor pencils or washable markers. Use sketchy marks to mimic fur. Blend several colors together.

  4. Use a brush with water to blend the pencil or marker marks into a painted look.

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For Doodlebugs Ages 2-5:

Let’s draw and paint a mushroom!

Materials: 

  • Paper

  • Washable marker

  • Brush

  • water

Instructions:

  1. Draw two vertical lines on your paper to be the stalk of the mushroom.

  2. Now make a big rainbow or frown shape over top of the stalk. Connect the shapes.

  3. Color the mushroom with markers. Make it colorful!

  4. Use a brush with plain water to go over your drawing. Watch the water pickup the marker ink and make it act like paint! Let your painting dry and hang it up.

You did it! Now don’t forget to email images of your work to Jennifer@BlowingRockMuseum.org 


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Terra Ludis: Play Ground | Meet Mac Utter